The present invention generally relates to light-diffusing optical fibers with scattering influenced by Rayleigh, dopant concentration and/or small angle scattering effects, for various applications including decorative lighting, automotive lighting, appliance lighting, water treatment and purification, and other special lighting applications.
Optical fiber configurations have been proposed that allow for the propagation of light radially outwards along the length of the fiber to create a fairly uniform distribution of light illumination along the length of the fiber. Such light-diffusing fibers (“LDF”) can be particularly useful for a number of applications, e.g., decorative exterior lighting for a residence, decorative vehicle lighting, and interior lighting for appliances.
Current LDF technologies are generally limited to fibers having a core region comprising a fused SiO2 composition containing various sized defects configured for the purpose of scattering light. The processes used to introduce these defects and the processing associated with the fused SiO2 glass composition itself are relatively expensive. Further, sufficient numerical aperture levels in these fibers require the use of low index polymeric cladding material, another potentially expensive process. Accordingly, there is a need for LDFs with configurations and compositions that can be more easily and cost effectively tailored to particular light scattering applications.